Pakistani girl Noor Mukadam was raped and beheaded by Pakistani-American .

Noor Mukadam

The brutal murder of Noor Mukadam, 27, sparked protests across the country and calls for reform to Pakistan's gender violence laws.

Zahir Jaffer, 30, from a wealthy industrialist family, has denied killing Mukadam.

The 27-year-old Noor Mukadam was attacked after refusing a marriage proposal, attempting repeatedly to escape Jaffer's sprawling mansion in an upscale neighbourhood in Islamabad but blocked each time by his staff, a police report said.  

Above : Policemen escort Zahir Jaffer, a Pakistani-American man who went on trial accused of raping and beheading his girlfriend . Down : Women protesting on the street of Islamabad .

 

Jaffer raped and tortured her with a knuckle duster before beheading her with a "sharp-edged weapon", it added.

Eleven others have also been charged in connection to the murder, including some of Jaffer's household staff, his parents, and others who were allegedly asked to conceal evidence.

The murder of Mukadam, whose father served as Pakistan's ambassador to South Korea and Kazakhstan, is one of the most high-profile cases of violence against women since the government introduced new legislation designed to speed up justice for rape victims.  

Prime Minister Imran Khan has pledged that the accused would not escape justice for being part of the Pakistani elite and a dual national.